6. Now, connect your router to your computer using Ethernet cable. (Plug into Yellow Color which is LAN port, not Blue color which is Cable/DSL/WAN port)

7. Set your computer IP Address manually to 192.168.1.10 (or anything between 192.168.1.2 - 192.168.1.254, do not set it to 192.168.1.1 since it will be the default IP for Asus Router.) Set netmask to 255.255.255.0

8. We will flash it using Asus Firmware Restoration. This will be enter to rescue mode to restore/flash firmware.

8.1 Unplug the power cord of the router.

8.2 Long Press the button "Restore" about 5 seconds and plug in the power cord into the router.

8.3 Hold the "Restore" button until the power is flashing slow, now the router goes into rescue mode.

10. Click at "Choose File" and select the file "tomato-K26-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-104-Max.trx" that we just downloaded. Then, click "Upload"

11. Just wait until it finish. It will show the screen to let you know that the flashing process is done.

12. Now, I recommend you to do hard reset (30/30/30 reset) before start using the router. I found many strange issues with the router after flash without doing hard reset especially when you flashed from DD-WRT firmware. Here is the information how to hard reset the router from DD-WRT :

Hard Reset (aka 30/30/30 reset):

The following procedure will clear out the NVRAM and set dd-wrt back to default values:

With the unit powered on, press and hold the reset button on back of unit for 30 seconds

Without releasing the reset button, unplug the unit and hold reset for another 30 seconds

Plug the unit back in STILL holding the reset button a final 30 seconds (please note that this step can put Asus devices into recovery mode...see note below!)

This procedure should be done BEFORE and AFTER every firmware upgrade/downgrade.

Note : for Asus RT-N12, the Reset button is Restore button.

After done with hard reset, you can now use Tomato by Shibby by going to 192.168.1.1 using your web browser like Internet Explorer, then, login with the following information :

Default User name : rootDefault Password : admin

13. Now, I just want to make sure that we really clean the NVRAM. To prevent and strange behavior. Go to Administration -> Configuration. You will see the page below :

14. Choose "Erase all data in NVRAM memory (thorough)" and click OK

Wait for the router to reboot, then, you can enjoy using the router with TomatoUSB by Shibby firmware.

Update (2013.04.06) - Asus RT-N12HP Router :

Tested TomatoUSB By Shibby v108 ( tomato-K26-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-108-Max.trx ) - on Asus RT-N12HP and it seems to work fine. Below is the screen after flashed :

With Ethernet Ports State in Version 108, it is easier to know exactly which LAN ports in TomatoUSB really map to Physical LAN ports. As you can see that LAN2 in the picture is connected. However, the real physical LAN port I really connected to the router is LAN Port 3. So, it shows the port in the reversed order. (Port 1 in Tomato is actually Port 4 physically. Port 2 in Tomato is actually Port 3 physically.) You may also change the Port Order in TomatoUSB by going into Basic -> Network -> Ethernet Ports State -> Invert Ports Order.

I also checked the original firmware comes with Asus RT-N12HP before flashed to TomatoUSB by Shibby. The TX Power Adjustment is default to 80 mW in Asus Firmware version 3.0.0.4.342 (Released 2013.02.22) as you may see in below image :

Update (2015.05.15) - Asus RT-N12 D1 Router :

Tested TomatoUSB By Shibby v128 ( tomato-K26USB-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-128-Nocat-VPN.trx ) - on Asus RT-N12 D1 and it seems to work fine. Actually, I tested many D1 routers since v124 and it works great. One thing that you need to do after flash is to Hard Reset (aka 30/30/30 reset). I found multi SSID wireless to be unstable. Hard reset fixed the problem for me.

Update (2016.08.15) - Asus RT-N12HP / RT-N12HP B1 Router :

Tested TomatoUSB By Shibby v138 ( tomato-K26-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-138-Max.trx ) - on Asus RT-N12HP and RT-N12HP B1 and it seems to work fine. The strange part for RT-N12HP B1 is that there is nothing state on the back of the router about "B1". I know it's "B1" just because I logged in on web interface and the default router name was ending with "B1"

Comments

i have problem with Asus Firmware Restoration(i have ASUS RT-N12C1), when i take him to restoration mode i see not"Asus - Cfe Miniweb server" but "Broadcom - CFE MiniWeb Server", but rest is that same, when i choose the file like in instruction, i wait 30 min and nothing. i do hard reset and ofic. firmware back. i dont know what happened i cant upgrade to tomato. greet

I've done. i install on my netbook Asus Firmware Restoration from official website(utilities) and i start from take a router in restoration mode, use application (not browser) with that same name chose file and done, after that i do hard reset and rest like in instruction , and now i have tomato on my router. Thank U for help an this solution, it's great job. bye

After flash Tomato by Shibby on my RT-N12HP everything seem working well except for one thing TX Power Control is totally broken, no matter what number I'm enter and apply (0-400) on TX Control device seem always using factory power all the time.

On stock firmware when I'm adjust TX power and using INSSIDER to monitor my wireless activity I'm always see huge improvement over my signal level, but not after Tomato firmware been flashed on my N12HP.

I guess wireless signal amplifier that only present in D1 and HP rev. is the cause of the problem.

Thanks for this well-written guide. I used it to successfully flash an Asus RT-N12/D with build 121 of shibby's tomato.

Q: Can you confirm that the ports are incorrectly labeled in Advanced -> VLAN?

When looking at the VLAN arrangement, I have by default Port 1, 2, 3, and WAN port in VLAN 0 = LAN (br0). And Port 4 is assigned to VLAN 1 = WAN.

I did some experimenting, and it seems that on this VLAN page, Port 4 and WAN port are swapped. Can you or anyone confirm that in the ports shown on Advanced | VLAN, that port 4 and WAN have their labels swapped? And if so, is there a way to correct this, so I don't have to remember for the future?

I can't suggest anything about RT-N12HP B1 since I never try it. (The one I tried didn't have anything about B1) Even I have a chance to try it, I prefer to use OpenVPN over Cisco VPN. OpenVPN works great on RT-N12 C1/D1 though.

Yes, you may flash the version I've described without any problem. Have use it for quite a while already.
Regarding "Max" VS "Nocat-VPN", I can't remember what is the different and why I picked "Nocat-VPN". Still, it works great as I expected.

Hello hope you are well i'm still looking the tomato for the router asus-rtn1 D1, I can't find it, can you help me with this problem. Thank you for your time and your attentions.
Take care have a nice day.

I flashed tomato-K26-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-132-IPv6-VPN to my Asus rt=n12 d1 router. All was well and I used the tomato interface I erased the NVRAM memory as directed. After this I cannot communicate with the router. Hard reset 30/30/30 did not help. Is there a next step?

I was able to flash tomato tomato-K26-1.28.RT-N5x-MIPSR2-128-Max.trx on RT-N12D1; everything was working until I saved changes to enable Wireless Ethernet Bridge. My guess is that I might have input incorrect security settings for my primary router. This may have resulted in asus router unable to make connection to primary router. I tried hard 30/30/30 reset as well as shutting down primary router but no good. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Just wanted to leave this comment, as this was the difference between a working router and a non-working router for me.

After the firmware has been uploaded, follow the instruction above for doing a hard 30/30/30 hard reset--but use the button on the LEFT side of the device, not the recessed button on the right side. This will properly reset the NVRAM.